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Central Library Renovation Reopening: Warmer Welcomes

by mschuler

Visitors to the Central Library in Copley Square can quickly find all that the library has to offer that day by speaking with a friendly staff member at the Johnson building’s new Welcome Center or discovering information about programs and events on digital signs around the building.

The new Welcome Center, located just inside the front door of the Johnson building, is the place to ask a BPL staff member for directions, referrals, or information about upcoming programs. It’s also where visitors can virtually engage with the library through a 41-screen digital interface designed by Cambridge-based Small Design Firm. Here, the public can follow the BPL’s Twitter and Instagram feeds in real time, see library usage stats such as active book returns and checkouts, explore a visualization of the BPL’s catalog, see popular and newly added titles, and learn curious facts about the BPL and Boston. In addition, patrons can take a “shelf-portrait” – a self-portrait formed from the text of classic novels – to download and save or record a video-response to a question posed by the library.

With more than 10,000 programs and events across the BPL system each year, the new digital information screens also help patrons discover all the library’s opportunities for learning and exploring. The interactive screens provide access to FAQs, general library information, and a searchable calendar of events. In addition, the screens promote programs taking place at the Central Library to encourage visitor participation.